Lindsay from Dallas said, “I might have lost my weed, but the music is just too good for me to worry about that now…”. Unfortunately a security guard who I’d like to dub “Buzz Kill Bertha” was quick to act on any fun being had by snatching up pipes and joints by the dozen. Playing one of their more popular songs “Safe and Sound”, the boys induced a crowd sing along and perhaps smoke-a-long in the balcony. The combination of phenomenal musicality, raw energy, and perhaps Marley’s inviting smile makes them one band that I’d recommend anyone and everyone to see live… even if reggae music is not your “thing”. In their case, Rebelution has great studio albums, but a far more stellar live show. Studio albums can only do a band so much and as most know, what you hear on a CD is not necessarily what you will get live. With Eric Rachmany on guitar and vocals, Rory Carey on keys, Wesley Finley on drums, and Marley Willams on bass, Rebelution is one group that you must experience live. This was definitely a different sight from their set at Austin City Limits in 2010, but a welcomed one. Opening with what could have been the topic of most conversations for the evening, ‘So High’, Rebelution played up the “green” theme as the stage was adorned with lots of foliage and verdant lights to set quite the mood. After the stage was cleared, instruments and gear swapped out, it was Rebelution’s turn to light it up… and light it up they did. Those who came just to see Rebelution were without doubt treated to two amazing openers who definitely did themselves justice and more. All in all they played a solid set and musically speaking were very tight. The bulk of their set spanned their Live Up! and Slow Down albums and they even brought Marley Williams of Rebelution out to join them on stage for a number. With heavy bass lines and a traditional reggae meets modern dub sound, GPGDS kept the crowd going as the HOB grew increasingly hazy (no fog machines to speak of, mind you). Touring major US festivals such as Wakarusa and Jamboree and having shared the stage with the likes of The Wailers and Toots and the Maytals, GPGDS was a solid addition to the Winter Greens Tour.
Formed by the brothers O’Brian in the early 2000’s, GPGDS has been making quite the footprint (or should I say panda-print?) on the reggae scene. Orgone finished their set and passed a primed and ready crowd off to Rochester, NY based reggae group Giant Panda Guerilla Dub Squad. Lyrical highlight of the night was definitely when Fanny was belting out ‘Give it Up”-“trying to wear skinny jeans when you a size 18…. Energetic and engaging, the band played tunes off of their most recent 2010 release Cali Fever (with the exception of their instrumental album Killion Vaults), as well as doing a marvelous rendition of ‘Cosmic Slop’ by Funkadelic. While listening to Miss Franklin sing her heart out, you’d almost swear that she is the love child of George Clinton and Aretha Franklin as she’s got the perfect mix of funk and soul.
Quite the eclectic ensemble (from fabulous afros to cowboy hats and boots), Orgone’s rhythm section originally got their start back in the nineties and it wasn’t until 2001 that they brought on Fanny Franklin to lay down the lead vocals. Kicking off one of the few final stops on the Winter Greens Tour, the first band to start the night off was Los Angeles based Orgone.
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